About us (ENGLISH VERSION)
Berufskolleg fuer Technik und Informatik Neuss:
Vocational College for Computing and Technology
1. What Is BTI?
The Berufskolleg fuer Technik und Informatik (English: Vocational College for Computing and Technology) is a vocational school and community college in Neuss (Germany) with over 2,300 students.
The College (abbreviation BTI) offers training for industrial and technical professions, information and design technology. In addition to this, students who attend BTI can acquire all general educational qualifications from secondary school to A-levels. Furthermore, working professionals who have completed their vocational training have the opportunity to complete additional higher education qualifications or undergo further training to become technicians.
The BTI is a community college combining several different types of schools under one roof. The general education system contains
- the Vocational School (Berufsfachschule),
- the Vocational College (Hoehere Berufsfachschule),
- the Sixth Form College (Berufliches Gymnasium),
- the Vocational College for Professionals (Fachoberschule).
In the professional area there is
- the Vocational School of the German dual education system (Berufsschule des dualen Ausbildungssystems),
- the Vocational School for young people without qualification (Berufsschule für Jugendliche ohne Ausbildung).
The further education sector contains
- the Technical College (Fachschule fuer Technik).
2. The Vocational School (Berufsfachschule)
At the Vocational School students obtain the "Fachoberschulreife" diploma (comparable with the British General Certificate of Secondary Education or the American high school diploma) and, in addition, a basic vocational training in one of the following fields:
- Electrical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Painting technology and interior design
3. The Vocational College (Hoehere Berufsfachschule)
At the two-year Vocational College students obtain the "Fachhochschulreife" diploma (comparable with the British "General National Vocational Qualification" or the American senior high school diploma), which enables them to enter a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule). In addition, they achieve a basic vocational training in one of the following fields:
- Electrical engineering with a focus on information and communications technology
- Electrical engineering with a focus on power engineering and automation
- Mechanical engineering with a focus on mechanical engineering and automation
- Mechanical engineering with a focus on mechatronics
- Design technology with a focus on visual communication
At the three-year Vocational College for Information Technology Specialists (Berufsfachschule fuer Informationstechnische Assistenten), students undergo a vocational training in information technology. They acquire two qualifications:
- the "Fachhochschulreife" diploma
- a professional qualification as a "Staatlich gepruefter Informationstechnischer Assistant" (State-Certified Information Technology Specialist) with a focus on systems integration.
4. The Sixth Form College (Berufliches Gymnasium)
The Sixth Form College offers the "Abitur" (comparable with the British A-levels or the American senior high school diploma) in the field of electrical engineering with a focus on information and communications technology. After three years the students acquire the specialized "Abitur" which enables them to study a subject related to their degree at a university. If they have been learning a second foreign language for three years (e.g. French), they obtain the full A-levels diploma and can study any subject.
5. The Vocational College for Professionals (Fachoberschule)
The Vocational College for Professionals offers trainees, apprentices and professionals who work at a company the chance to acquire a "Fachhochschulreife" diploma at night school. This qualification will enable them to attend a university of applied sciences in the future.
6. The Vocational School of the Dual Education System
Most young people in Germany who want to learn a trade undergo their vocational training or apprenticeship with a company. Germany's dual education system means that the trainees or apprentices spend most of their training time in their companies and obtain an additonal education at a vocational school.
At the BTI, the Vocational School of the dual education system offers, in conjunction with the training companies, training for the following trades:
- Electronics technician for energy and building technology
- Electronics technician for industrial engineering
- Mechatronics fitter
- Metalworker for structural engineering
- Industrial mechanic
- Plant mechanic for sanitary, heating and air conditioning systems
- Painter and varnisher
- Building and object coater
- Joiner / carpenter
In information technology, the following trades are offered:
- Information technology specialist for application development
- Information technology specialist for systems integration
- Information technology and telecommunications systems electronics technician
- Information and telecommunications systems support specialist
- Information technology officer
7. The Vocational School for Young People without Training
BTI provides young people who have no apprenticeship or training the opportunity to gain professional experience in a year through career guidance workshops (Berufsorientierungsjahr, Werkstattjahr). If young people have left school without any degree, they can also catch up on the "Hauptschulabschluss" (Lower Secondary Education, Level 2).
8. Technical College (Fachschule fuer Technik)
At the Technical College professionals who have a degree in a recognized apprenticeship and at least one year of professional experience can complete a state-certified training for technicians in one of the following fields: electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and mechatronics. For this they attend the night school for four years on two or three nights a week.
9. Other Qualifications
In all courses students can acquire additional skills. These range from certification in IT skills at the BTI in-house CISCO Academy and Microsoft Academy to multimedia and film production.
